Learning to Fight
by InfinityAgent
Summary: Ratatouille AU! Based on some tumblr asks. Ward just wants to learn combat skills, Fitz just wants to become a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. They weren't supposed to see each other, but nothing ever goes as planned.


**A/N: Probably best read on a device that shows line breaks. Based of a couple of anon messages I found on tumblr user agents-of-frickle-frackle's page. This is really choppy but I just wanted to get all my thoughts out in writing. Keep in mind that it hasn't been edited and is most likely laden with errors. Feel free to suggest edits!**

* * *

"Everyone run!" Someone shouts, and then there is a mad scramble. People are in panic, trying to find a place to hide or escape into and though they are doing a pretty good job at it, Ward can see that they aren't all going to make it in time. Without further hesitation, the young man picks up the nearest object which just so happens to be a twig. Now was his time to shine.

"Grant, no!" Dana, Ward's little brother, urges. He grabs onto Grant's arm and pulls him closer. "You're going to get hurt!"

"Maybe." Ward is stone-faced. Adrenaline is beginning to pump through his system, setting his focus on only one thing: defeating the enemy. "Go find shelter. I'll be fine." Reluctantly, Dana releases his grip on Grant and retreats, hopefully finding a safe place. Now that most of the people are out of the way, Ward can focus his attention on the intruder. It appears as though a rat has found its way into their small civilization and is currently altering between terrorizing citizens, stealing food, and destroying the makeshift homes.

Foolishly unafraid, Ward runs full speed towards the rodent wielding only the twig. He roars a ferocious battle cry as he sprints, hoping the noise will strike fear in the heart of the rat. Unfortunately this only draws more attention to himself. Squeaking, the rat swipes at Ward and instantly breaks the twig in half before the young man can so much as attempt to stab at its matted fur. What was he supposed to do now? Ward does the only thing he can think of and charges at the beast, ramming it in the side. The rat snarls and spins wildly, smacking him across the face with its pink, wormy tail. But before it can turn to face Ward again, he grabs the tail and digs his fingernails into the exposed flesh.

Screaming, the rat lunges towards Grant as if to bite him. With balled fists, Ward sends a flurry of punches into its bony face. Just as he thinks this is working, Grant is knocked over on his back and momentarily dazed. The beast looms over him, a wicked snarl of victory plastered over its ugly face. Before it has a chance to finish the attack, Grant reaches over and grabs something from the ground. With the blunt and broken end of his twig, Ward jabs the rat in the eye. Rearing back, the rodent appears to be in too much pain to put together a complete attack. After a moment of hesitation, it flees from the wreckage squealing. Stunned, Ward slowly sits up to survey the damage. Did he really just do that? Heads begin to pop up from hiding places, both curious and cautious.

"Grant!" Dana is the first to fully emerge, running up to his older brother excitedly. "You did it!"

"Yeah…" He is helped to his feet and can't help but run a hand through his brother's hair. He was the one Grant was thinking of when he made the decision to fight. Keep him safe. More of the villagers are approaching now, offering words of congratulations and astonishment. For a minute, Ward feels like a celebrity.

"Grant Douglas Ward!" His father's voice causes Grant to flinch. He turns to face the large man storming towards the accumulating crowd. He harshly pulls Ward to the side. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Saving the town." Ward grumbles, mood dropping.

"That is _not_ the way we do things here!" The older man growls, "What kind of example are you setting for Dana?" Ward doesn't bother trying to say that he was setting a pretty damn good one, because he knows his father won't listen anyways.

"I just wanted to fight." Ward protests, though he knows that his voice is falling upon deaf ears.

"You were always the most aggressive out of the bunch." The obliviousness appalls Ward. How can his father be so blind? Him? The most aggressive? While he certainly isn't the most passive (that was Dana), Maynard certainly held the title for 'most likely to get into a physical argument'. But of course his father thought the eldest brother was the poster boy for perfection. "And you couldn't have just killed the beast off while you were at it? Now it'll come back for seconds."

"I hardly doubt-"

"We're going to have to move again because of you!" The oldest Ward snarls. "Maybe you should've considered that before trying to be all heroic." They would have had to move whether or not Ward stepped in. But what's the use in arguing anymore? Grant is lucky that his father is only interested in being verbal with him today. "Start packing." Without another word, the man turns on his heels and walks back towards the awaiting civilians. Despite the possible repercussions, Ward doesn't regret what he's done.

* * *

One week later, the colony was beginning to get settled into their new home. As their primary concern was intruders, they had tried to find the most secure location possible. Maybe a little too secure, but so far it hasn't caused them any problems. The decision to move into the undergrounds of a secure government organization had been credited to Maynard, even though it had been Grant's idea all along.

Now that everything had been unpacked (by him), Grant had time to explore the facility a little. It was advised against, but Ward figured they owed him a little freedom. Maybe if he brought something useful back, like food or supplies, they'd let him go out again. Or maybe they'd just punish him again. Either way, he needed to see what exactly he'd gotten them into. Because one thing was for certain: if the location went bad, he'd be the one to blame. So if there were any issues, it would be best for him to iron them out before they came to view.

Ward eased his way through the walls of the huge facility, making his path as he went in case he got lost in the huge maze of hallways and rooms. There were humans here, but that wasn't a major concern. Humans, as oblivious as they were, had never noticed civilizations before so why should this time be any different? It wouldn't be.

He was ignoring the contents of many of the rooms, but one in particular caught his eye and he forces himself to stop. Peering into it, Grant sees that it appears to be some sort of training room. There are humans using it now so he can't investigate further, but perhaps it'd be worth stopping by some other time to check it out. Maybe he can find some stuff that he could use to his advantage. Even though his father disapproves of the skill, Ward wants to continue to work on his combat abilities. They've proved useful in the past and surely would be needed again in the future.

Continuing on his journey, Ward doesn't find much else of interest. There isn't much he can do with so many humans swarming about. He picks up a few pieces of cardboard to take back just so his outing isn't for nothing. Upon returning to the nest, Grant's father is outraged that Ward broke the 'no-escaping' rule but seems to be pleased that his son has enough sense to make use of it. He doesn't directly tell Grant that he is allowed to continue the adventures, but he doesn't condone it either. As long as neither of his siblings found out, because they apparently didn't have enough sense to run about without getting caught. Ward has no problem with these conditions and makes plans to go out in the night when he knows the humans will be sleeping.

He follows up with this, slipping away from his brothers' sides in bed to ease away into the walls. Ward is very stealthy and hardly makes a sound as he creeps towards the training room he had found earlier. To his delight, the room is completely empty.

Ward knows he shouldn't do it, but he enters the now-unoccupied room to examine what mysteries lie inside. He recognizes many of the machines and tools, but others are unknown to him. Maybe if he returns again in the day sometime, he can see what the humans use the supplies for. Yes, that's what he'd do. Observe during the day and practice during the night. Grant can see no flaws in his plan, other than his brothers might notice his increased absence. But they would most likely just think he needed some space. Hopefully.

Swinging at a discarded punching bag, Ward is pleased to find the object well-suited to his needs. He practices the few fighting moves that he knows, before tiring of the exercise and playing around with a few other things. He doesn't realize how much time he has spent there until rays of light begin to shine through the window. Sunrise. Ward scrambles back into the wall, thankful that no humans had wanted to use the room during the early-morning. He picks up a shredded piece of cloth and drags it back to camp before collapsing back into bed. It wouldn't be long before his brothers would begin to stir, and expect him to wake up as well and complete the day's chores. But for now, Ward just wanted to close his eyes and sleep.

* * *

It's been a couple of days since Ward started making regular visits to the training room. He is there now, working on a new sequence of attacks that he's observed some of the more experienced humans performing. Grant is so intently focused on remembering the moves that he doesn't notice that the door has quietly opened and a young human has entered. The human doesn't see Ward at first, but freezes upon spotting the small creature beating away at a punching bag.

"What… are you?" The young human asks, breaking Ward away from his trance. Grant leaps backward, staring wide-eyed at the taller being. He can't believe he's been caught! Out of all the training he's been through he should be better than this! Ward makes a mad dash for his exit, realizing only after he has cover that the human has made no movement to follow. "Ok." The human shrugs, appearing to be curious. "I guess I'm seeing things now. That's great."

Ward's breaths are quick and his heart is still beating wildly. He's never been so close to a human before and can't believe how lucky he is to still be alive. Grant knows he can _never_ tell anyone about this experience though, or they'd have to move again. And he can't bear the thought of moving when he's found such a perfect place to hone his skills.

Though he is very tempted to return home, Ward stays behind to see what the young human does. The curly-haired giant wraps his hand unskillfully, as if nobody's ever shown him the correct way to do it before. He struggles to hang up one of the bags and Ward can see that the human isn't very toned. A beginner, for sure.

"Alright…" The human speaks to himself now. "Come on, Leo. You can do this." Apparently trying to motivate himself now. At least Grant now knows this mysterious man's name: Leo. The beginner balls his hands into fists in the wrong way and throws a few weak punches at the bag. Shaking his hand as if it pained him a little, Leo stops and ponders what he is doing. "Maybe I'm going about it all wrong. What was that one guy doing?" He tries (and fails) to imitate the sequence Ward had been attempting when he'd been caught.

Ward wants to say longer, but is beginning to feel a bit anxious and really just wants to get away from the potential captor. He returns to the colony, realizing only after he's settled into bed that he's forgotten to bring something back.

* * *

Though slightly terrified to return, Ward's fear is overrun only by his desire to improve his skills. He checks back every night without entering the room, just in case it is occupied. But he doesn't see Leo. So after a few days, Ward finally has the courage to begin practicing again. He gets away clean that night and the next, so he assumes that the coast is clear. A fool's mistake.

It's a little over a week after the initial incident when Ward is seen again. He's just doing a dynamic warm-up when the door whooshes open and two men casually walk inside. One of the humans is Leo, but Ward can't identify the second. Grant wastes little time trying to return to the walls. This time, however, the humans are on pursuit. The older of the bunch, the one who's identity is unknown to Ward, throws his jacket over the wall so that the hole is blocked. A shot of terror rushes through Ward's body as he realizes that he is trapped with no means of return. They back him into a corner where the two parties stand for a minute and gape at each other.

The humans make the first move. Leo is ordered to obtain a container so the young man grabs a tennis ball can and empties it out, handing it back to the one who apparently held power over him. Slowly, the can falls over Ward's head. He wants to run but knows there is nothing to do but be captured. With a quick flick of the wrist, Ward is sent tumbling down to the bottom of the clear, plastic container. A lid with hastily poked holes seals the top of the elongated tube.

"Fitz, take this down to the biochem labs." The older man shoves the can into Leo's arms. "We're done for the night."

"Yes, Sir." Leo replies, hesitantly backing out of the room as his boss follows. They split into separate directions and Ward finds himself alone with the young man. This was never how he planned on getting caught. Every so often, Leo sends a glance down at Grant, who avoids the human's gaze. As they walk to an unknown destination, the human attempts to make conversation. "Some night, huh?" Yeah. Some night. "So, can you talk?" Eh, what the hell. Might as well make the best out of the situation.

"What's it to you?" Ward growls, hoping he sounds menacing or dangerous enough to let go. Unfortunately it only causes Leo to grin and stare more.

"What are you?" The same question that Leo had asked the first time. Ward just glares; not only is the question rude, it's one he can't exactly answer because he isn't quite sure. "Well I'm sure they'll figure it out when they…" Leo trails off, apparently having caught himself saying something he didn't mean to speak out loud. He doesn't have to finish the sentence; Ward knows where it's going. "Kind of a shame." This comment seemed more directed to himself. Then, the young man's eyes light up. "Hey! What do you say we wait a day or two before turning you over?" What? "I mean it's not like he said I had to do it right away… do you think you could show me some of those moves?"

"I guess…" Anything to prolong being handed over to scientists. And anyways, it was pretty evident that the kid needed a lot of help when it came to combat. Ward has never been a teacher before, but how hard can it be?

"Great!" Leo changes course quickly, sending Ward flying against the opposite wall of the plastic. The human doesn't seem to have noticed, but Ward rubs his face and pulls himself back to a sitting position. "Do you have a name?"

"Grant." Ward offers, not giving up any more than he has to.

"I'm Fitz." Ward doesn't bother mention that he already knows, instead letting the conversation drop. They continue in silence for a while, until Leo reaches a closed door. Using a keypad he unlocks it and slips inside, shutting the heavy door behind him. Looking around, Ward can see that it is a bedroom, probably Leo's. There is only one room and a bathroom, but it is large enough for one occupant, Ward supposes. Fitz sets the tennis ball can down on the kitchenette's small breakfast table and draws up a chair. An awkward silence ensues. "I know you probably want to be let out of there, but I can't trust you not to run." Good point, because that was exactly what Ward had been planning on doing. For the next couple of minutes Fitz attempts to question Ward on various topics, but Grant doesn't give up another word. He's tired and a yawn escapes him before he can stop himself. "You're tired." Leo sighs, obviously wanting to continue. "Fine, but we're going to start tomorrow so be ready to talk."

Leo walks away from the table, doing various tasks in order to get ready for bed. Ward doesn't really watch; his mind is much too preoccupied. He can hardly process all that has happened. Finally however, his exhaustion gets to him and Ward curls up in the bottom of the container. Before he knows it, he's fallen asleep.

* * *

As he wakes, Ward finds he is much stiffer than he was anticipating. Apparently plastic doesn't make for very comfortable bedding. As Grant stretches, he notices that Leo is already up and dressed, standing over a frying pan in the kitchen. A couple of minutes later, the human turns the burner off and as he is letting the food cool, he notices that Ward is watching him.

"Good, you're awake." Leo brings his plate over to the table and Grant can see that the young man has prepared an omelet. He breaks off a piece and kindly drops it down into the plastic tube for Ward to eat. Fitz may be no good at fighting, but he was for sure a good cook. Perhaps he should try for a career in cooking instead of whatever the hell he was doing here. "I have to go to class today, but tonight we're going to go to the gym and you're going to show me some of those moves." Why didn't he just have another human help him out with it? Ward didn't ask, but he continued to ponder questions such as this as Leo finished with breakfast. "Just in case someone comes in here, I'm going to have to hide you."

"Fine." Ward hears himself say, though he doesn't remember planning on saying anything more. Leo picks up the tennis ball tube and carefully hides it inside one of the cupboards in the small cooking area.

"Ok." Fitz sounds nervous, or perhaps anxious. "Hold tight." With that, the doors are shut and Ward is left in complete darkness. Throughout the next few hours, Ward isn't sure whether he is awake or dreaming. Perhaps a combination of the two. It seems like an eternity until the doors are finally pulled back. Momentarily blinded by the light, Ward can only squint as the tube is removed from its hiding place. "Ready?"

"Yeah." Grant stutters, blinking dumbly. Fitz is already changed into gym clothes and hurriedly takes them back to the training room that Ward knows. The first thing he notices is that the hole he always used to come in and out has been permanently plastered off, probably by the man who had instigated the capture.

"I'm going to let you out now, but you can't try to run." Fitz cautiously warns, removing the lid and slowly tilting the tube so that Ward slides out onto the seat of one of the exercise machines he'd never been able to use. Of course, Ward couldn't run if he wanted to. The height of the potential jump was too far and though he was agile, Ward didn't want to risk killing himself over one stupid escape attempt. There would be other times. "Ok, where do we start?"

"You wrap your hands, right?" That's what Fitz had been doing the last time Ward had gotten caught.

"Umm… yeah…" Leo holds up a roll of the tape. "Am I doing it wrong?"

"Yes." Ward sighs, realizing that this is going to be harder than he anticipated. He settles down in a comfortable position. Grant guides Leo through the process, pantomiming the actions himself. It takes a while, but finally the kid gets it right. They do it a couple more times to make sure Leo has it down. Then, the work begins. Ward explains the correct way to punch, demonstrating on an invisible bag. Fitz does his best but unfortunately there is only so much Grant can do. The human just isn't cut out for this kind of thing. They decide to take a break so they can hydrate. "What do you even need to learn this for?" Ward asks, his most daring feat yet.

"It's part of the job requirement." Leo mumbles.

"Well if you don't like it, why don't you just get a different job?"

"No, no. I like the job." Fitz pours a bottle cap full of water and sets it down for Ward to drink out of. He feels like an animal drinking it that way, but he's so thirsty he doesn't really mind all that much. "It's just in order to complete the academy, I have to pass a physical exam. It's so stupid." Clearly frustrated, Leo sends a kick towards the punching bag and ends up stubbing his toe. "I'm not even going to be doing field work; I don't know why they need me to learn how to fight when I'm not going to be the one throwing punches."

"That sucks, man." Ward shrugs indifferently, not particularly invested in the topic but feeling like he owed the man some sort of input. They sit there in shared silence for a couple more minutes before trying again. It's no use; Leo just struggles to pick up the proper techniques. Ward climbs back into the tube and they return to the human's room. This time, Leo lets Ward out of the container and allows him some freedom, which consists mainly of the table space. Still though, Grant appreciates it. If he was going to be forced to share residence, he might as well be more comfortable. That night, Leo sheepishly brings forth a tissue box for Ward to sleep in. Ward sleeps much better that night.

* * *

The days pass as such, Leo growing more and more frustrated every time he can't keep up with Ward's lessons. It's obvious that the human is embarrassed about not being able to complete some of the most basic skills, but he never says anything about it. Grant finds himself talking to Leo more and more, having lost most of his hope of escape. Leo was just much too careful about that. The two of them stayed up late discussing various things, going so far as to even describe the society in which they live in. Both parties are fascinated by the others'.

One night, Leo falls asleep while at the table. His head nearly lands upon Ward, causing the smaller being to become entangled in the curly mess that is Fitz's hair. While fighting his way free, Ward accidentally yanks on a lock of the thick, brown strands. To his surprise, Leo's arm jerks up and then falls back down again. Curious, Ward grabs another curl and gently tugs at it, causing Leo's other arm to raise. Grant experiments a little with it and finds that he can control Leo's movements using only his hair. While he never would have thought it was scientifically possible, Ward knows that he is no scientific genius. Maybe all humans were like that. Shrugging it off, Grant goes to his own bed and settles into his cozy mess, quickly forgetting about the strange quirk.

The discovery remains forgotten until the next night, when Leo was about to give up on trying to learn.

"I don't know, Grant." Fitz shakes his head, wiping sweat from his brow. "I guess I'm just a lousy student. We're not getting anywhere." Ward has to agree, though he doesn't verbally do so. He does feel bad though. "Your movements are so fluid. I wish you could just… just... remote control me or something, I don't know." If it were a cartoon, a light bulb would have just lit up above Grant's head.

"Put me on your head, Leo." It's a strange request, but Ward feels he knows as if he finally knows what to do about the unteachable student. When Fitz doesn't comply, Grant voices his idea to the other half of the duo.

"I don't know…" Fitz looks very clearly skeptical. "I don't want you to fall…"

"I'm not afraid of heights." Grant gulps, though he too is nervous about the whole idea. But finally the human gives in, the idea of success too tempting for him to resist. Very gently, Leo scoops Ward up and places the smaller man on his mop of hair. "Alright, let me see here…" Steadying himself, Ward grabs hold of a few of Fitz's locks and experiments with which strands correlate to which movements. Leo just stares at himself in the mirror, completely in awe with what was happening. After a couple of minutes, Ward gets a good handle on the controls and practices making Leo walk around the room, picking up objects and putting them back down.

To Grant, this is one of the greatest experiences of his life. He's always wanted to know what it felt like to be a human and now he has that opportunity. From his perch, Ward feels as if he's on top of the world. Time passes so quickly that again Ward is reminded of the approaching day with the light in the window. He and Fitz hurry back to the room and excitedly discuss what's happened.

"Tomorrow, we'll start some movements." Ward promises, finally feeling relaxed around the human. Why was his kind so afraid of them? Not once (since the first day) had Leo attempted to pick Ward up without permission or do anything forceful with him. Fitz never spoke over him and seemed to respect what Grant had to say. It was like someone back from the colony, not some strange monster ready to tear him limb from limb. Granted, Ward was originally supposed to be taken back to- oh. It'd been weeks now and still he hadn't been taken to 'biochem' or whatever that place was called for examination. When Ward mentions this to Leo, the human casually waves it off.

"A really close friend of mine works over there." Leo explains, "I've got her to cover it for me. They'll never know what happened to you." This was a relief.

"A really close friend, huh?" Ward waggles his brow, "Is this 'really close friend' a female?"

"Maybe." Fitz's face flushes , "But it's nothing." Grant lets the subject drop, but can't help but be reminded of the people back home. Instantly, his mood drops. Despite how well he's handled living with the human, he misses being with people his own size. Ward knows that Leo won't let him go back until maybe he passes the physical exam, so it only motivated Ward to train Fitz harder.

* * *

The pair is now well into more-complex moves. Fitz can complete the simple ones on his own now, but still requires assistance from Ward to perform much of the material. The preliminary test is in an hour and Fitz is pacing the kitchen fretting about every little thing.

"If I don't pass, I won't be able to take the real exam for another _year_." Leo runs a hand through his hair. "And we haven't even gotten to everything that's covered yet!"

"I'm sure we have." Grant sits inside his tissue box. "You got this, man."

"But what if I don't?" As Leo says this, Ward can't help but sigh and rub his temple. He's getting frustrated with Fitz's lack of self-esteem.

"Fine, I'll help you with this one but you're on your own for the final."

"But…" Fitz looks conflicted. "That's cheating."

"Well yeah," Ward rolls his eyes, "But you want to pass don't you?" Neither of them say anything while Leo thinks about the offer. "It's outdoors, isn't it?" Leo nods in response. "Well then just wear a cap. Nobody will suspect a thing." With a sigh, Fitz gives in. Despite how much he doesn't want to cheat, he needs to pass. And without Ward's help, he's not sure he'd be able to. Besides, surely there weren't explicit rules against what they were doing anyways.

* * *

"Nice hat." A young woman approaches Fitz as the group of students wait to be tested on the outdoor course.

"Thanks, Simmons." Leo smiles, fingering the baseball hat that was thrown loosely over his head so that Ward wouldn't be squished. "Yours is… erm, lovely too." The human shifted nervously on his feet as he complimented the woman's sun hat. Ward realized that it must be the lady from the biochem lab that he was friends with. Fitz didn't seem to have many friends, but it was nice to see him actually interacting with another human.

"Thank you." Simmons twirls around, showing off the whole garment. "I bought it back home when I went over summer." Everyone stops talking for a moment as a name is called and a nervous-looking human male makes his way over to the testing area. "You ready?"

"No." Fitz honestly admits, "I think I'll pass though."

"That's how I feel." Simmons strokes the brim of her hat once and then fixes her hair. "It should be no big deal though… especially for you, now that you spend so much time in that gym!" After a bit of nervous laughter, the pair falls silent. The next name called is Leo's. Showtime. "Good luck, Fitz!"

"Alright. We've got this." Ward encourages, now that he's out of potential earshot. "This is what we've been practicing for." Fitz gently nods but is too nauseous to say anything else. The instructor explains the rules and suddenly the test is active. Ward guides his human through a series of mock combat scenarios, masterfully completing each one as if it is a walk in the park. Afterwards, all of the proctors give Leo high praise, saying that he has a lot of potential and commenting about how much he's improved. Even though they hadn't received the marks back yet, it was clear that he'd passed. The next step: ace the final physical exam. There were a good two weeks to train and Ward was positive that he'd be able to get Leo into good enough shape to fly solo.

* * *

"Grant, we're friends, right?" Ward looks up from the newspaper page he's reading to see Leo was looking right at him.

"Sure." They were close enough. Ward sets down the strip of paper, sensing this was an important conversation. "What is it?"

"Well we've gotten to know each other pretty well and…" Fitz is struggling with his words. "I just feel pretty guilty about holding you captive, after all this time. Just because I can't see my family doesn't mean you shouldn't be able to either."

"What are you getting at?" A flutter of long-forgotten hope dashes through Ward's heart. Could this be going where he thinks it is?

"This probably isn't the wisest thing I've ever done, but I wanted to know if you want to go visit your… civilization." Fitz was no longer meeting Ward's eye. Grant could see that he really did seem to feel bad about it, so maybe that was worth something. "Just overnight or something."

"Yeah!" Grant leaps to his feet, eagerly nodding. "That'd be great!" His enthusiasm is a little over the top, but what can he do. He's lost track of time so he doesn't even know how long he's been away. Hopefully long enough to make his father miss him, maybe even be glad his son came home. Maybe they'd throw a party in his honor. Or something like that.

"Ok, umm…" Fitz slowly rises to his feet, looking uncertain. "Is it ok if we just use a vent or something? I don't want to punch a hole in my wall." He laughs a little to himself, stopping upon seeing that Grant wasn't joining in.

"Yeah, I guess." Ward isn't as familiar with that, but it's manageable. Fitz lowers Grant to the ground near one of the air ducts. "See you later, then." Really, Ward has no intention of ever going back. No, he's going to stay far, far away from the training room and everything else. Maybe even commit himself to the colony. Well, his father's probably never going let him out of sight again either. He deserves whatever punishment that's coming to him, but it doesn't matter. He's going home.

"Bye." Waving, Leo watches the smaller being disappear into the dark cover of the vent, then goes back to homework. He'd just have to wait to train until Grant got back.

* * *

Walking back to the familiar area, Grant feels a heavy weight on his shoulders. On one hand, he can't be happier to be back with his people. But on the other, Ward never felt more alive than when he was connected to the human world. They were so much more complex than he'd ever imagined. Ward sees his little brother standing outside the family dwelling, vigorously sweeping any dust that had settled in the 'yard'. That used to be Ward's job.

"Dana." He finally manages to choke out, starting to feel emotions overwhelm him. The kid turns slowly around until finally setting eyes on Ward. Instantly, it was like Dana had been plugged in; every bit of the kid's body lit up as he dropped the broom and raced towards him.

"Grant!" Hearing Dana's voice was like an electric shock. Any doubts about staying permanently down in the basement evaporate. He exists to protect his people, not to help humans with stupid tests. The two siblings lock in an intense embrace, tears threatening to fall down both of their cheeks. They'd never been separated for so long before. "Where have you been?"

"It's a long story." One Ward isn't sure he's willing to share. But the simple-minded child accepts his answer and together they walk back to the dwelling. Dana rants on about things that have happened while Grant was gone as if it were an everyday occurrence. "Where's May?"

"I thought I told you not to call me that!" The older brother steps out from around the corner and promptly shoves a fist into Grant's gut. It was this part that Ward didn't miss about living with Leo. "You think you can just show up now and act like you've never been gone?" Hadn't Ward literally just gotten back? What was he acting like? Questions that Grant doesn't have the courage to ask fill his mind. Silence rings throughout the band of brothers. "Father will want to know you're home." Maynard disappears into the house, Grant and Dana hot on his heels. The father is sitting facing away from the door, but he hears three sets of feet enter and instantly glances over his shoulder. After a long, drawn-out look at Grant, he turns back to face the empty wall. No words. That was rather unlike him.

"Father?" Grant cautiously approaches his old man, circling around the furniture to see his dad sitting in the chair, staring ahead blankly. Further attempts at communication failed. "What's wrong with him?" Ward addresses his brothers. Dana looks away, but Maynard has a cruel smile painted across his face as if he'd been waiting for Grant to ask.

"Oh, you want to know what happened to dear old dad, don't you?" He sneers, "Maybe if you were around more often, you'd know."

"What happened?" Ward asks coldly, without patience for this sort of thing.

"After you disappeared, he tried to find you." Maynard casually explains, flopping down into a makeshift chair. "He tried, he really did. Tried so hard he slipped and fell and bumped his head. Permanent damage, they told us. Can't remember a damned thing."

"What." Grant's voice is hollow, as if suddenly the world has come crashing down on him. He never liked his father much, but never in his worst nightmare did he want him to die. And surely this is the same as death.

"So you know, times have been hard." There's a sarcastic edge to Maynard's voice. "Now that the colony is… under new management." That's right. The next in line to the throne had been Grant's older brother all along. It makes him wonder… it was out of character for the Ward father to leave the nest to go searching for a son who he deemed beyond help. This revelation doesn't sit right for Grant. He can't bear to think about the implications. No, he'd have to accept that Maynard was telling the truth and move on with things. No matter what had really happened, there was nothing to be done about it now. Challenging the new ruler was hardly the way to come back to civilization. "I've got business to attend to." Maynard stands, now sounding as if he were bored. "Please… make yourself comfortable." With that, he's gone.

"Grant…" Dana squirms uneasily by the doorway, "Do you think what Maynard said is true?"

"Of course." Grant reassures his little brother, going to his side. The last thing he needs is to turn his two brothers against each other. Especially when it's clear which side would win if it came down to it. "Let's go get some lunch, huh?" Together they venture to the kitchen. Ward has decided that he has a lot of explaining to do.

* * *

Grant lies in bed, beside Dana, unable to sleep. He still can't believe that the kid had accepted his story so easily and completely… it would have been just as simple to tell a fake story about adventure and exploring instead of capture and failure. But what kind of brother would he be then? Like Maynard? A shudder runs through Ward's body. The last thing he wants is to become like his older brother.

It's been a little over a week since his 'escape' from the human world and Ward has settled nicely back into his own society. In fact, people have been much more accepting than he had anticipated. All he had to say was that he'd gotten lost and it'd taken him so long just to find his way back and already they were offering kind words and invitations for dinner parties as if he had never been gone at all. Of course, this might have something to do with Maynard threatening to exile anybody who dug into the Ward family matters. Neighbors probably just wanted to get into Maynard's good graces. Grant didn't care.

Honestly, the only thing he misses about the human life is the physical training. Grant's too scared to go back and try and honestly, the thought of returning without making a visit to Leo's room makes him sick. The guilt about ditching the poor guy is overwhelming at times, but it's easy to push down. Surely Ward provided him with enough skill to pass the test. Still though, it wasn't just that. It was the thought of being such a terrible friend. Fitz had been so nice to Grant and now here he is, ditching out at the first chance he got.

* * *

Eventually the guilt became too much to bear. As soon as Dana falls asleep, Ward sneaks out of the house as he used to do. It's easy to follow the path he took home and soon Ward finds himself standing in the vent, staring into Leo's room. A part of him had been hoping that Fitz wouldn't be home, instead training inside of the gym or whatever. But no. Leo is sitting slumped over his kitchen table, pouring himself a glass of something out of a bottle.

"What, you think just because I'm not here you don't have to train?" Ward snorts, walking through the metal grate. Leo's head rises quickly and he spins around, wide-eyed.

"You're back." Fitz says with disbelief, setting his glass back on the table. "I didn't think you were going to come back." He had thought he'd lost Ward for good. And he almost had. "Actually, I almost began to believe I'd hallucinated everything."

"And this is how you decided to deal with it, huh?" Ward snakes his way over to his human friend and gets a lift up to the table. The stench in the air is thick and Ward crinkles his nose. It isn't easy to get access to alcohol in the colony, so they don't really drink it often. "Don't you have a test in three days?" Leo looked away, ashamed. For once, he had nothing to say. "So what, you've just given up on your dream job?"

"I'm not going to pass the test." Fitz says hoarsely. "I'm not going to cheat on it either."

"I wouldn't want you to." Grant frowns. Leo had yet to learn how to fly on his own. Time to push the bird from the nest. "I'll tell you what, you can sulk all you want tonight. But the next two days we're going to go all out."

"Deal." Leo offers his glass to Ward, who stares up at the human questioningly. "Trust me, it's the good stuff." Reluctantly, Grant leans over the edge of the glass and laps up a good mouthful of the alcohol. Instantly, he wishes he hadn't. Coughing, he quickly sits back, refusing to take another drink. "Your loss." Fitz shrugs, downing the rest of the glass.

* * *

Ward wakes before Leo this time, which doesn't usually happen. The human never made it to bed and is lying across the table. His phone is lit up, signaling a new message.

"Hey, you've got a message." Grant shakes Leo awake.

"Couldn't this wait…?" The human stretches and rises slowly, rubbing what looks like a sore neck. He picks up his phone and reads the message, all the blood draining from his face. "Oh no…"

"What?" Ward doesn't like the sound of that. "Who is it?"

"Simmons." Leo jumps to his feet throwing on a jacket and hastily running a comb through his hair. Before Grant even has time to ask what the content was about, the human translates the words on screen. "They found an 0-8-4 last night." That doesn't mean anything to Ward, but then Fitz continues. "It's one of your… people. Found wandering one of the rooms last night." It was as if his heart had stopped. How could they be so stupid? Sure, Grant ventured out all the time… but he is an experienced and agile spy. Some bumbling fool could mean the death of the entire civilization! Anger flared up inside Ward's body.

"Does it say if they have the guy's name?" It's pretty unlikely, but hey. Ward had revealed his name on the first night so it wouldn't be that surprising if this party did also.

"Yeah, hold on." Leo messages Simmons and waits for a response. Finally, one came. It was a one-word text. "Dana."

* * *

"Jemma!" Fitz bursts into the biochem lab as if he's on fire. Thankfully, the only human there was Leo's friend. He rushes to her side and they engage in scientific banter that Ward can't keep up with. All he cares about is getting his brother home safe.

"Where is he?" Ward finally asks, not caring if it broke his cover. He pokes his head out of Leo's jacket pocket and then jumps out onto the table. Simmons looks warily amused but Fitz seems unhappy with the turn of events. Because nobody answers his question, Ward asks again. "Where's Dana?" Simmons hesitates for a moment, before reaching under the counter and pulling out a cardboard box. She opens the flaps and carefully withdraws and squirming black-haired child that could only be one person and deposits him in a heap on the hard surface. "You son of a bitch!" Ward can't help but get angry as he grabs the back of his brother's shirt and pulls the cowering child to his feet.

"Grant…" Dana averts his gaze. "I'm sorry… I didn't mean to… to get…" He's too upset to complete a sentence. He's obviously had a more traumatic first night than Ward.

"You followed me out, didn't you?" The markers. Ward had never removed them and Dana had probably followed the trail to the blocked entrance, only to become lost trying to figure out his own path. "What the hell did you have to do that for?"

"I just wanted…" The kid sniffs, "You said humans… I thought they were…" He'd let himself get caught because Grant had told them all of those good things about Leo. What a fool Grant had been, assuming that his secrets were safe with his little brother. He couldn't get too angry at him though. All Dana wanted was a break from the chores, the beatings, the whatever else Maynard had him doing.

"It's alright, Kid." Grant embraces his little brother. He looks up at Fitz and Simmons, who had been silent the whole time. "Everything's going to be ok."

"Actually…" Simmons doesn't want to say something, but it's on the tip of her tongue. "I hate to intrude, but I think you're in danger."

"What?" Ward releases Dana and takes a step back. "What do you mean?"

"Well it's just that…" She uncomfortably shifts, "I wasn't there to stop them but…" Simmons sighs, "Truth serum. Dana told them everything."

"Everything?" Ward lifts an eyebrow and looks between the humans and his little brother, who looks even more upset than he had before. Guilty, even.

"They're calling in an exterminator." Simmons simply replies, turning away suddenly as if upset. "He's scheduled to arrive any time now." Ward leapt towards Fitz.

"You've got to take us back!" Grant demanded, trying to get Leo to pick him up. "We have time to warn them! To move!"

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." A new voice, one that Grant recognizes, calls out from a dark, shadowed corner. After looking, Ward realizes why the sound is familiar. It's the man who was with Fitz the night he was captured. "Your friend is leading us straight to the heart of an alien infestation we've been trying to hunt down for years. Go figure you've been hiding right under our noses this entire time." Alien? Ward isn't so sure about that, but he does know that everything has been turned upside down. The man grabs both Grant and Dana and throws them into the box.

"Hey!" Fitz protests, visibly upset. "You can't do that!"

"Can't I?" The man grins, "Well anyways, it was nice-" He was interrupted by a bright blue light that shot straight through his chest, sending him crashing to the ground. Simmons stands to the side, a gun falling from her hand.

"Simmons!" Fitz cries, "Did you just shoot him with our prototype blaster?"

"Maybe?" The woman is still standing there, frozen. "Um… now we know it works."

* * *

Ward runs through the walls at full speed, towards the civilization he'd been raised in. Dana had been left behind with the humans and now it was up to him to spread the warning. It was with relief that Ward found Maynard first.

"You've got to evacuate!" Grant shouts, out of breath. "The colony is in danger!"

"Why should I believe you?" Maynard doesn't look at Ward. "You're the one who betrayed your own kind. Who mingled with the _humans_." Grant freezes in his tracks.

"How do you know about that?" He never told his older brother about what had happened all of those months.

"You think I wouldn't?" The smug look on the eldest sibling's face was almost too much to bear. "Maybe father was right about you. Maybe you're the rotten one after all."

"That's a lie and you know it!" Grant was furious. How dare he! "Just like the lie you spread about father! You just couldn't wait to wear the crown, could you?" At Grant's words, Maynard's eyes narrow. He opens his mouth to speak, but the middle child doesn't have time to speak. "Look, I don't have time for this now! Punch me until I have brain damage too, just get these innocent people out of here. They always supported you, May! How are you going to be the leader if there aren't any people to lead?"

"You-" There's an insult coming, but Maynard doesn't get to finish. There is a hissing sound from the distance and a green smoke begins to fall from some of the ceiling ducts. The extermination has begun. Maynard looks from Grant, to the ceiling, then back to his brother.

"If there's one good thing you're going to do in your life, let it be this." Grant pleads desperately. "Please, Maynard. If not for me, do it for Mom." At the reminder of her, the eldest sibling flinches. He looks pained, but finally walks away from Grant. At first, Ward feels a sinking feeling in his heart. He has failed. All of his people will die. But then, Maynard climbed onto a pile of rubbish and shouted out to all the people on the street. Ward expected a wild panic, as usual. But Grant doesn't know why he ever doubted Maynard as a leader. All of the people are too scared to disobey his orders and immediately begin to file out the hole that Grant had made and using his instructions, fight their way towards the biochem lab. But they weren't going fast enough and some people hadn't heard the alert. Grant hurriedly began trying to spread the news of the poison gas to all of the civilians, but he feared it was too late. Could they all make it out before the gas overpowered them?

* * *

Fitz sits on the floor and watches all of the 0-8-4s climb out of the vent and gather in the lab. He never imagined that there were so many of them, despite all of the stories that Grant told him. Leo thinks that he sees Grant come out, but upon further examination there are a few slight physical differences. This must be the eldest brother Grant had warned against.

"Is that everyone?" Simmons asks when no more of the little creatures come.

"Where's Grant?" Fitz asks, scanning the floor. He doesn't remember seeing his friend come through, but maybe he missed him. Nobody says a word in response. "He's not here?" Where else could he be? Unless…

Leo jumps to his feet, careful not to step on any of the civilians. He runs for a packaged box hidden behind some of Simmons' belongings. It was one of the projects he'd been working on during the day: a robotic flying drone. It was still the prototype, but it could fly. Hopefully it wouldn't be too late. Fitz sent the drone down the vent and following Dana's instructions, down into the colony.

It wasn't hard to find Grant. He'd almost made it out of the room, but a piece of metal had fallen over his back somehow and prevented him from escaping. It seems strange that none of the escaping 0-8-4s would've stopped to help one of their own. Unless none of them saw it happen. Unless it happened after they were all out of there. No matter how it had happened, it didn't help Ward. Using the drone, Fitz removes the metal and then wraps a metal claw around Grant's body. Carefully, he flies the robot back up to the surface and has it release Grant's limp body. He's not breathing.

"Grant…" Leo whispers, staring down at the little body. Surely this couldn't be real. "Simmons?" Leo looked towards his partner for help.

"I'll see what I can do…" Jemma gently picks Grant up and takes her over to her workstation.

"Is he dead?" Dana asks bluntly, gazing up at the table.

"We don't know yet, dummy." Maynard sneers. Fitz finds it hard to believe that this is the very same Maynard who's leading an entire civilization of people. He doesn't seem mentally old enough to lead a pack of dogs.

* * *

Fitz is breathing heavily, sweat glistening upon every limb of his body. He's never been this tired before, but he's also never felt so relieved. He's taken the test. It's over. Now he just has to wait for the results.

A few weeks (or even days) ago, Leo never would have believed that he could have done so well without Grant acting as his brain. But for whatever reason, Fitz felt like he'd had Ward with him the entire time. There was nothing on the exam that the pair hadn't gone over at least once in practice. The whole time he had taken the test, Leo had thought of the little man who'd taught him everything he knew. Who'd allowed him to live out his dream.

"Congratulations, Son." The proctor hands Fitz back his score sheet. He didn't pass with flying colors, but it was a win all the same. "Welcome to S.H.I.E.L.D."

* * *

All eyes are on Leo as he enters the biochem lab. The past couple of days it has been used as a safe house for the 0-8-4s as S.H.I.E.L.D. debated what to do with them. The man who'd attempted to murder them was currently on unpaid leave and was being investigated for unethical tactics.

"So?" Jemma can hardly breathe, so nervous for her best friend. "How'd you do?"

"Well…" Leo's can feel the tension in the air, "I… passed!"

"Congrats!" She throws her arms around him. Her own exam is in a couple of days and she too is worried about it.

"Thanks." He blushes, slightly embarrassed.

"Yeah man, you earned it." The voice was music to Fitz's ears. Simmons smiles secretively and takes a step away from the table, revealing a woozy-looking Grant. He's pretty awful looking, but alive! Leo can only stare open-mouthed at the friend he thought he'd lost.

"Grant!" Leo approaches the table, "Of course, I never would've done it without your help."

"You just needed a little encouraging." Simmons rolls her eyes. "That's all it took for me."

"What do you mean?" Both Ward and Fitz ask in unison.

"Well…" She looks around the room as if she's hiding something. "Do you remember the day we both wore hats, Fitz?" Nods all around. "Well you've already told me why you had yours and I think it's only fair that I do the same." All eyes turn to the hat that is lying on a desk nearby. A small head pops out from beneath the rim.

"It's about time." The voice is female. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about me." Simmons fetches the hat and dumps the contents onto the table next to Grant. Ward suddenly feels self-conscious about the fact that he isn't wearing a shirt and blushes. "I'm Skye, by the way."

"You cheated!" Fitz can't believe what he's seeing. Simmons shyly nods. "But… you never cheat!" The two humans become lost in talk.

"I'm Grant." Ward introduces himself to Skye, coughing a little. "I guess we both ended up with dirty, no-good humans, huh?"

"What does that say about us?" Skye returns, smiling. "By the way, there's a rumor going around that says you just saved an entire colony."

"Really?" Grant can't imagine how that would be spread. "I guess Maynard's going to take credit for that too." But Ward has no intention of letting him. In fact, Grant doesn't think his older brother will be able to touch him anymore. Never again. Things are going to be a lot different now, but Grant has a feeling his civilization will do just fine. Nothing's really that bad.

* * *

**A/N: So that's it! Maybe one day I'll go through this and add details/scenes and make it longer. I hope you liked it!**


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